Silver y, back and upper flank blackish toolive and belly white to dark yellow. Lateral line darkerthan surrounding flank. Lips, pectoral, pelvic and analfins yellow. Fins bases, gill slit and isthmus bright orange.Iris red dorsally. Peritoneum dark brown. Dorsalfin spine very strong and thick with well-developed andwidely-spaced teeth. Belly scaled up to isthmus. A scaledpelvic axillary process present. Anal papilla and anal finlie in a groove formed by enlarged scales. Scales oval.Pharyngeal teeth rounded with hooked tip. Gill rakersrelatively short and reaching adjacent raker or slightlybeyond when appressed. Mouth inferior and U-shapedwith a horny edge. Anterior barbels extend back to anterioreye margin or mid-eye, posterior barbels extend torear eye margin or beyond. Gut elongated and coiled. Insprings, streams, rivers and qanats. Maximum age 7years, total length 54 cm and weight 3 kg. Sex ratio2.5males:1female. Maturity at 150 mm total length.Males with tubercles on head. Spawning in spring or earlysummer. Absolute fecundity up to 36,300 eggs with adiameter of 2 mm. Food include small fish, aquatic insectsand plant material.